The fresh produce which is available to the consumer in the supermarket has been harvested, packed in storage cartons, and shipped from the fields. Unless the consumer resides in or near an agricultural community, the produce found in the supermarket has been shipped from fields which are miles away. Transporting produce grown on the west coast of the United States to the east coast, for example, takes several days, and the produce can arrive in a stressed or poor condition. Because of the long trip, the shelf life is substantially reduced and the produce will be in a marketable condition only for a short time. Thus, the quality and availability of many kinds of produce in east coast supermarkets is much worse than in the west coast supermarkets. Various steps are taken to attempt to improve the appearance and quality of produce subjected to extensive transportation. During the packing process, the produce is washed and often sprayed with cool water. A minimal amount of this water remains in the storage carton and is absorbed by the produce. Some packets place an absorbent pad soaked with cool water in the shipping carton to increase the amount of moisture available to the produce. While this small amount of liquid improves the quality of the shipped produce to nearby destinations, the liquid only lasts for a short period of time and has little effect in cross-country shipment. Produce is often shipped in refrigerated trucks and railcars, but refrigeration is expensive and is not entirely effective in preventing degradation of quality.
Since in many instances the produce may be stored in the shipping container for several days because of shipping delays, extended transportation time, and crowded produce bins, a shipping or produce packing assembly which is capable of extending the useful life and enhancing produce quality is highly desirable. Similarly, a method which efficiently increases the appearance and quality of the produce in remote markets has widespread usefulness.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a packing system for fresh produce which enables the produce to be shipped, stored and arrive at remote marketplaces in better condition or the consumer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packing system which will lengthen the shelf life of fresh produce.
A further object of the present invention is to provide packaging for the transportation, storage, and marketing of fresh produce which enhances the freshness and appearance of the product to the consumer.
A more general object of the present invention is to provide a packing apparatus and method for fresh produce which enhances the quality of produce after a period of several days.
The assembly and method of the present invention has other objects and features of advantage which will become apparent from and are set forth in more detail in the description of the Best Mode Of Carrying Out The Invention and the accompanying drawing.